Latest science news in Biology & Nature
Trade in Frog Legs May Spread Disease
Deadly fungus a threat to frog species worldwide [Read more]
Schizophrenia gene's role may be broader, more potent, than thought
UCSF scientists studying nerve cells in fruit flies have uncovered a new function for a gene whose human equivalent may play a critical role in schizophrenia...
Like humans, ants use bacteria to make their gardens grow
Leaf-cutter ants, which cultivate fungus for food, have many remarkable qualities. Here's a new one to add to the list: the ant farmers, like their human counterparts, depend on nitrogen-fixing...
Technique finds gene regulatory sites without knowledge of regulators
A new statistical technique developed by researchers at the University of Illinois allows scientists to scan a genome for specific gene-regulatory regions without requiring prior knowledge of the relevant transcription...
Why Israeli rodents are more cautious than Jordanian ones
A series of studies carried out at the University of Haifa have found that rodent, reptile and ant lion species behave differently on either side of the Israel-Jordan border. 'The...
Engineer designs micro-endoscope to seek out early signs of cancer
Traditional endoscopes provide a peek inside patients' bodies. Now, a University of Florida engineering researcher is designing ones capable of a full inspection...
Researchers begin to decipher metabolism of sexual assault drug
It's a naturally occurring brain chemical with an unwieldy name: 4-hydroxybutyrate (4-HB). Taken by mouth, it can be abused or used as a date-rape drug...
Search engines are source of learning
Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to Penn State researchers...
Gene silencing predicted to improve drug manufacturing
Biotech firm hopes to use RNA interference to boost drug yields.
Czech zoo lions kill rare tiger
Two lions at a zoo have killed a rare white tigress.
New maize map to aid plant breeding efforts
A massive survey of genetic diversity in maize has produced a gene map that should pave the way to significant improvements in a plant that is a major source of...
Maize cell wall genes identified, giving boost to biofuel research
Scientists have identified and grouped the genes thought to be responsible for cell wall development in maize, an effort that expands their ability to discover ways to produce the biomass...
Bacterially produced antifungal on skin of amphibians may protect against lethal fungus
A new study suggests that naturally occurring bacteria on the skin of salamanders could help protect other amphibians, including some species of endangered frogs, from a lethal skin disease.
Ants Eat Well, Thanks to Bacteria
Researchers uncover nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the ants' gardens [Read more]
Cracked Corn: Scientists Solve Maize's Genetic Maze
The complex corn genome--coming in at a hearty two billion base pairs (compared with the human genome's 2.9 billion base pairs)--has been mapped by more than 150 researchers, who worked...
The benefits of stress ... in plants
Certain wild flax plants growing in poor soils have succeeded in balancing the stress in their lives -- these plants are less likely to experience infection from a fungal pathogen....
Mammoth dung unravels extinction
A study of mammoth dung has helped unravel the mystery of what caused the great mammals to die out.
Scientists unlock clues for tailoring corn plant for food, energy needs
(PhysOrg.com) -- Scientists have long known that the offspring of two inbred strains tend to be superior to both their parents. Now, a team of researchers including a University of...
Thousands of Worms Headed to International Space Station For Muscle Tests
The perils of space flight number in the hundreds, from radiation exposure to the impact of micro-asteroids. But for astronauts who spend an extended amount of time floating weightlessly in the near-endless void...
First map of chromosome terminals of higher fungi
Scientists have described for the first time how the telomeres and adjacent sequences of the oyster fungus are organized.
WPI researchers take aim at hard-to-treat fungal infections
WORCESTER, Mass. -- A team of researchers at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center at Gateway Park has developed a new model system to study...
New antioxidant compounds have been identified in foods such as olive oil, honey and nuts
Scientists have used two new techniques, capillary electrophoresis and high resolution liquid chromatography, to enable them to identify and quantify a great part of the phenolic compounds in such foods....
Let them eat snail: Nutritional giant snails could address malnutrition
A nutritionist in Nigeria says that malnutrition and iron deficiency in schoolchildren could be reduced in her country by baking up snail pie. She explains snail is not only cheaper...
Lupus Foundation of America Releases Video Series on the Latest Lupus Research
The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) joined more than 11,000 rheumatologists and allied health professionals at the American College of Rheumatology's (ACR) 2009 Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in...
Dr. Paul Zamecnik dies at 96; scientist made two major discoveries
He discovered transfer RNA, a crucial molecule in the synthesis of proteins in the cell, and antisense therapy, in which strands of DNA or RNA are used to block the...
Lab worms are stunned by 'phaser'
Scientists show off an effect not unlike that of "phasers" in Star Trek - but it only works on tiny worms called nematodes.
First aquarium in US to breed dwarf cuttlefish
Scientists have established a successful captive breeding program for dwarf cuttlefish, Sepia bandensis. The program is the first of its kind in a US aquarium, and offers the academy and...
Predator beetle to battle hemlock pest
Hemlock woolly adelgids (HWA) -- aphidlike insects that have destroyed stands of hemlocks throughout the East Coast -- were first identified in hemlocks in the central Finger Lakes in summer...